The young telepath in a 1993 episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" was, indeed, Kirsten Dunst.

Though just 11 and without many TV or film roles at the time, Dunst was already eight years into her career. She began modeling and commercial acting at age 3, while living in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, before her first "big role" as the granddaughter of George Bush Sr. (played by Dana Carvey, "Wayne's World," 1992) in a 1988 episode of "Saturday Night Live."

These were her early attempts to break into the biz, but they didn't really start paying off until she moved to Los Angeles with her family in 1993, the year she acquired the "Star Trek" role (in Season 7's "Dark Page").

Her career took off the following year when she appeared as vampire-child Claudia in 1994's "Interview With the Vampire" and earned a Golden Globe nod, the MTV Movie Award for best breakthrough performance and loads of critical love.

More importantly, the role of Claudia earned her a steady stream of leading roles that hasn't broken much since, making her one of the few child stars who have managed to parlay their fame into adult stardom.

That said, she does feel a little held back by her background.

In an interview on the Sirius XM show "In-Depth With Larry Flick," Dunst said she suspects she's been overlooked during awards season because she's still remembered for her child and teen roles, saying, "I've never been nominated for anything. Maybe like twice. … Maybe they just think I'm the girl from 'Bring It On.'"

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